MAR 17 ~ HISTORY

 

 

     March 17, 1762

First St. Patrick's Day parade

In New York City, the first parade honoring the Catholic feast day of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, is held by Irish soldiers serving in the British army.

Saint Patrick, who was born in the late 4th century, was one of the most successful Christian missionaries in history. Born in Britain to a Christian family of Roman citizenship, he was taken prisoner at the age of 16 by a group of Irish raiders who attacked his family's estate. They transported him to Ireland, and he spent six years in captivity before escaping back to Britain. Believing he had been called by God to Christianize Ireland, he joined the Catholic Church and studied for 15 years before being consecrated as the church's second missionary to Ireland. Patrick began his mission to Ireland in 432, and by his death in 461, the island was almost entirely Christian.

 

 

 

 

March 17, 1901

Van Gogh paintings shown

On March 17, 1901, paintings by the late Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh are shown at the Bernheim-Jeune gallery in Paris. The 71 paintings, which captured their subjects in bold brushstrokes and expressive colors, caused a sensation across the art world. Eleven years before, while living in Auvers-sur-Oise outside Paris, van Gogh had committed suicide without any notion that his work was destined to win acclaim beyond his wildest dreams. In his lifetime, he had sold only one painting. One of his paintings--the Yasuda Sunflowers--sold for just under $40 million at a Christie's auction in 1987.

 

 Events
March 17
1897 - Motion pictures of a championship prize fight were taken for the first time as ‘Sunny’ Bob Fitzsimmons knocked out ‘Gentleman’ Jim Corbett for the world heavyweight title. Remember, too, that this was bareknuckle fighting. None of that fighting with gloves stuff...

1907 - America’s first bowling tournament for ladies began in St. Louis, MO this day. Almost 100 women participated in the event.

1910 - The Camp Fire Girls organization was founded -- at Lake Sebago, ME -- by Luther and Charlotte Gulick. The watch word of the group is “Wohelo” (an acronym of the words: WOrk, HEalth and LOve) and continues today even though the name has been changed to Camp Fire Boys and Girls. The name change occurred because boys are now accepted into the organization. 

~>I was a Camp Fire Girl when no BOYS ALLOWED

1967 - Snoopy and Charlie Brown, of the comic strip Peanuts, made the cover of LIFE magazine.

1969 - Golda Meir, a Milwaukee high school teacher, was sworn in as the fourth premier of Israel.

1919 - Nat ‘King’ Cole (Nathaniel Adams Coles)
jazz pianist, bandleader: King Cole Trio; songwriter: Straighten Up and Fly Right; actor: St. Louis Blues; singer: Mona Lisa, Too Young, Unforgettable, Pretend, Ballerina, Ramblin’ Rose, The Christmas Song; actor: Cat Ballou; first black entertainer to host a national TV show; father of singer, Natalie Cole; died Feb 15, 1965)

1949 - Patrick Duffy
actor: Dallas, Man from Atlantis, Step-by-Step video with Suzanne Somers

1951 - Kurt Russell
actor: Executive Decision, Backdraft, Elvis, Used Cars, Escape from New York, Big Trouble in Little China, Tango & Cash, Stargate, Tombstone, 3000 Miles to Graceland

1952 - Stan Weir
hockey: NHL: California Golden Seals, California Seals, Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, Colorado Rockies, Detroit Red Wings

~>HI HOCKEY PEOPLE!

1954 - Lesley-Anne Down
actress: Dallas, North and South: Book 2, Upstairs, Downstairs, The Pink Panther Strikes Again, The Great Train Robbery

1964 - Rob Lowe
actor: St. Elmo’s Fire, About Last Night, Suddenly, Last Summer, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, Contact, Atomic Train, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, The West Wing

~ > and most recently...Brothers and Sisters

 

 

Thank you for the tag Chris!